Night Beach (51 page)

food
and
think
you’re
gonna
die
on
some
shitty
piece
of
sand,
all
thanks
to
three

dickheads
with
some
bullshit
plan
that
I
can’t
even
figure
out.

‘
What
the
hell
did
you
leave
me
there
for?’
There
is
so
much
rage
in
Toby
A’s
voice

when
he
screams
this
that
I
flinch,
glancing
at
Kane.
He’s
staring
through
the

windscreen.
He’s
shaved
since
I
saw
him
last,
and
I
can
see
the
muscles
working
in
his

jaw.
Toby’s
voice
is
loud
and
clear
in
the
quietness
inside
the
car.

Toby
falls
silent
then,
but
you
can
hear
his
hard
breathing.

When
he
continues,
he’s
making
an
obvious
effort
to
do
it
in
the
same
controlled
voice

he
had
when
he
started
the
message.

‘See,
I
think
I
know
why
you
did
it,
Kane.
It’s
’cause
I’m
all
over
you,
bud.
You
gotta
take

it
from
me
in
the
water,
and
then
your
chick’s
happy
to
take
it
from
me
on
land
–
first

time
she’d
ever
got
to
sing
like
that.
But
I
just
wanted
to
let
you
know
that
I’m
gonna

destroy
you
over
this.
I’m
gonna
smear
you
high
and
low.’

There’s
a
pause.
Toby
sniffs.
‘Happy
holidays,
champ.
I’ll
see
you
round.
Oh
yeah,
and

whichever
one
of
you
pricks
stole
my
mobile
–
that
was
a
low
act,
too.’

The
message
cuts
out.
Feeling
shaky,
I
hand
the
mobile
to
Kane.
He
hits
a
button
and

slides
the
phone
into
the
back
pocket
of
his
jeans.

‘The
end,’
he
says.

‘Did
you
tell
the
boat
driver
to
go
back
for
him?’
My
voice
isn’t
steady,
because
I’m

worried
he’s
going
to
lie
to
me.

Kane
rubs
a
hand
over
his
face.
When
he
looks
at
me
again,
it’s
like
he’s
taken
a
mask

away,
showing
me
what’s
underneath.

He
looks
so
tired.

‘No.
We
should
have,
but
we
didn’t.
I
don’t
know
why.’

‘What
happened
over
there?
Please
tell
me.’

‘Nuh,’
Kane
says,
shifting
in
his
seat.
‘No
way.
I
can’t
–’

‘I
need
to
know!’
I
scream,
and
it
shocks
him,
I
think,
because
he’s
still.
‘
Please.
Things

have
been
happening
to
me,
too.
Okay?
I’ve
had
these
dreams
about
going
there.
But

they
weren’t
dreams
.
.
.
I
mean
to
the
other
place.
Where
the
shadow
is.
And
it
was
you

who
told
me
that
it
would
keep
me
if
I
went
back
again.
Can
you
remember
that?
You

were
sleeping,
but
I
think
you
knew
I
was
there.’

Kane
frowns
at
the
dashboard,
and
I
can
tell
he
remembers
something.
How
much,
I

can’t
be
sure,
but
there’s
recognition
on
his
face.

His
gaze
shifts
to
me.

‘I
need
you
to
tell
me
about
the
shadow,’
I
say.
‘What
is
it?’

He
clears
his
throat,
but
when
he
finally
speaks,
his
voice
is
still
gravelly.
‘I
don’t
know.

The
locals
were
trying
to
warn
us
about
something
.
.
.
They
told
us
not
to
go
on
the

island
after
dark.
They
told
us.
That’s
why
we
had
trouble
getting
a
boat
to
take
us

there.’

He
stops.
But
I
say
nothing,
and
eventually
he
continues.

‘We
got
there
late.
When
night
came,
we
started
drinking
a
fair
bit,
carrying
on.
Marco

had
some
–
Anyway,
we
had
this
big
bonfire
going.
Toby
passed
out
early.
And
then
.
.
.

the
thing
came.’

Kane
tilts
his
head
back
against
his
seat,
closing
his
eyes,
the
muscles
in
his
jaw

clenching.
I
hear
him
swallow.
‘It
came
out
of
the
fire.
Just
rising
up
and
up.
It
was
huge,

big
as
a
building.
No,
you
want
to
know
how
big
it
was?
It
blocked
out
the
sky.
I
couldn’t

see
the
stars,
just
this
shadow
thing
that
was
darker
than
black.
It
was
like
looking
at
the

sun
–
hurt
my
eyes
that
bad.
I
thought
there
was
someone
right
next
to
me,
screaming
–

on
and
on
and
on
–
but
then
I
realised
it
was
me
making
the
noise.
I
don’t
know,
I
think

we
started
to
run.’

He
makes
a
choking
sound,
and
his
eyes
open,
and
he
stares
at
the
ceiling
of
the
car

without
blinking.
‘But
we
were
on
a
fucking
island.
There
was
nowhere
to
go.

‘And
there
was
this
smoke
everywhere.
Except
it
wasn’t
really
smoke.
But
it
burned

really
bad
when
you
breathed
it
in.
I
was
trying
not
to
breathe,
but
you’ve
got
to
breathe

sometime.
And
once
it
was
in
me,
that
was
it.
It
was
burning
me
to
shit
all
the
way

through.
When
I
looked
down,
I
could
see
this
light
inside
me.
And
I
knew
it
was
too

late.
Then
I
was
alone.
In
this
black
place.
That
was
the
worst
bit.
There
was
just

nothing.
Nothing
at
all.’

When
a
guy
like
Kane
cries,
there’s
something
raw
and
awful
about
it.
I
want
to
touch

him,
say
something
reassuring,
but
he’d
hate
that.
What
he’s
saying
seems
so
familiar.

The
girl
in
my
painting
has
a
light
inside
her,
but
it’s
more
than
that.
I
feel
like
I’ve
lived

this
already.

He
shudders.
‘But
after
a
while,
I
knew
it
had
come
back.
It
was
there,
too.
Right
behind

me.
And
it
wanted
me
to
look
at
it.
But
I
wouldn’t,
even
though
it
dug
its
claws
right
in,

ripping
the
shit
out
of
my
back,
trying
to
turn
me
around.
And
I
knew
–
I
don’t
know

how,
but
I
knew
–
that
if
I
didn’t
look
at
it,
it
would
take
something
instead.
A
sacrifice.

’Cause
of
what
we
did.’

‘So
what
did
it
take?’

‘You
know
that
bit.’
Kane
looks
at
me,
his
voice
harsh.
‘I
told
it
to
take
Toby.
Because
he

was
passed
out.
And
because
I
hate
his
guts.
Don’t
judge
me,
because
you
would
have

done
the
same.
That’s
the
thing.
You
think
you’ve
got
balls,
but
when
it
comes
down
to

it,
you
find
out
you’d
do
anything
to
save
yourself.’

‘Did
you
see
it
take
Toby?’

‘Nuh.’
He
sniffs.
‘But
just
like
that
I
was
back
on
the
island
and
everything
was
the
same

as
before.
Except
Toby
wasn’t
there.
I
knew
Marco
and
Matty
had
been
through
it,
too.

Because
they
looked
as
fucked
up
as
I
felt.
I
reckon
they
answered
the
same
way
–
none

of
us
had
been
getting
on
with
Toby.
Then
we
all
just
went
kind
of
crazy.
It
was
like
we

were
high
or
something.
High
on
making
it
out
of
that
nothing
place
alive.

‘That’s
when
we
went
for
that
surf.
The
one
you
saw
the
shots
from.
It
was
weird,
like

we
sorta
knew
what
had
happened,
but
we
sorta
didn’t.
We
didn’t
even
talk
about
it.
It

was
like
a
dream.
When
the
boat
came
the
next
day,
Toby
still
hadn’t
turned
up.
And
we

wanted
to
get
the
hell
out
of
there.
I
don’t
know
where
he
was,
but
he
must
have
been

there
somewhere.
Hiding.
Maybe
he
went
through
it,
too.’

‘Why
did
you
take
his
mobile?’

Kane
gives
a
flat
laugh,
swigging
from
his
beer.
‘That
was
before
all
the
other
stuff.
I

wanted
to
look
through
his
messages.
He’d
been
mucking
around
with
this
chick
I
was

seeing
before
I
left
home.
That’s
why
we
had
the
falling
out.
I
needed
to
know
how
bad
it

was,
when
it
was
still
behind
my
back.
I
knew
he’d
have
kept
anything
she
sent
him.

He’s
a
prick
like
that.’

We’re
quiet
for
a
while,
then
Kane
mutters,
‘Never
thought
I’d
be
so
glad
to
hear
from

the
prick.’

‘But
Kane,
if
Toby’s
back,
there’s
been
no
sacrifice.’
The
word
that
would
complete
my

sentence
is
‘yet’,
and
it
hangs,
unspoken,
in
the
air
between
us.

‘There’s
been
enough.’

‘But
–’

‘What
more
do
you
want,
Abbie?
It’s
not
in
me
now.
Believe
me,
I
can
feel
the
difference.

This
is
the
first
time
I’ve
felt
normal
since
I
left
that
island.
I’m
not
walking
around

feeling
like
I
want
to
kill
somebody.’

‘But
I
want
to
know
I’m
safe.’

‘You’re
fine.’

‘How
would
you
know?’
My
voice
rises.
‘You
brought
that
thing
back
with
you,
and
I’ve

had
all
this
shit
happen
to
me,
and
you
don’t
even
want
to
know
about
it.’
If
I
sound

gutted,
it’s
because
I
am.
Each
word’s
a
disappointment.

‘I
can’t
deal
with
any
more
of
this
shit,
Abbie.’

‘Well,
too
bad.
Because
you
need
to
tell
me
one
more
thing.
Why
me?’

‘How
would
I
know?’

I
say
nothing.
Because
I’m
sure
Kane
does
know,
if
he’d
only
let
himself
think
about
it.

He’s
the
one
who’s
been
living
with
the
damn
thing.

After
a
long
time,
Kane
exhales.
Heavily.
‘All
right
then.
Maybe
we
can’t
normally
see

them.
Maybe
it’s
that
simple,
Abbie.
This
jinn,
or
demon,
or
whatever
the
hell
it
is,

worked
out
that
you
could
–’

‘See.
It
knew
I
could
see
it.’

‘Yeah.’

See.
Abbie.
Seeeeee
.
And
isn’t
that
what
I’ve
spent
my
whole
life
trying
to
do?
I
groan,

burying
my
face
in
my
hands.
It’s
the
oddest
thing,
but
I
feel
like
I’ve
failed.
Like

everything’s
been
for
nothing,
and
I
don’t
know
what
any
of
it
meant.
I’m
right
back
to

where
I
started.

Then
Kane
says,
‘Look,
this
isn’t
turning
out
the
way
I
thought.
I
might
head
back
to
the